Moving for the first time can be tricky for anyone. Apart from the challenges that everyone faces in relocation an amateur is bound to have the first time goosebumps, the weight of inexperience and the whirlwind of conflicting emotions to deal with. Here are some tips to ease the first time relocation

1.Let Go: If you are relocating for the first time, there will be a lot of things that you will have accumulated over the years. Most often all of our belongings seem to possess a significant utilitarian or sentimental value to us. The wisest of the choices that you can make is to let go of some of the things that are of less utilitarian value. One of the ways is to sort all your things in a priority list of immediate requirement, most often needs and the things that you do not need often. Then you can reduce the do not need often list according to your convenience as the key to effective relocation is light transit.2.Get rid of clutter:Most of our old houses are the host to a lot of clutter like discarded tools, toys and old clothes that we don’t really need. But we haven’t thrown them yet. Well, the time before relocation is the best time to get into action. Throw them, donate them or recycle them in the recycle store, but get rid of the junk and reduce the volume of your things to carry.3.Don’t skimp on your relocation partner:Your relocation partner is your key to a smooth relocation. Make sure you place your bet on an experienced steed. Your help should be an asset and not a liability. Make an informed choice with the aid of your friends and family who have been through relocation before or cautiously hunt online based on a steady online reputation. If possible speak to them in person and trust your intuition. Some of the parameters to be considered while choosing a moving company are the prices, prior experience of operation in the concerned cities, procurement policy, list of services- will they pack, load, unload, unpack and rearrange in order.4.Procure packing boxes first:Your things are of varied sizes and have a diverse need for packing, so your packing boxes have to be of various sizes. Acquire them first from reliable local sources like recycle shops, paper mart, wine shops etc if your moving company does not provide them or charges too much. The costs of boxes are seasonal and escalate in summer and fall in the relocation season. Don’t hold up till the end.5.Pack priority stuff first:Pack valuables like documents, agreements, cash and jewellery yourself and well in advance. Keep them handy and carry them yourself to minimise the risk of loss and theft. Pack similar items according to location and start with things of least priority. For examples, start with bed-room artefacts and pack them together. This will help you rearrange your house easily as all related stuff will be packed together.6.Labelling:Labelling is perhaps the most important aspect of relocation and often neglected. Label all boxes for content, location and priority. This will help you get the movers to unload at the right location, unpack similar things together and rearrange with ease.

We like to live with grandeur. And that means a lot of artefacts, antiques, china, paintings, glass and crystals. Crockery is a part of everyday living. When we relocate, we need to take care of these articles separately. They are not only the part of our day to day activity but are part of our very fond memories. They are mostly the fragile are collected over a period, with care and love. Also many antiques and artefacts are part of the inherited legacy increasing their financial and emotional value. We need to protect these fragile collections very carefully from being damaged as their always in the risk of being damaged during the packing, loading, unloading or during the transit. That makes it imperative for us to pack them with care and ensure that they are handled with care in order to keep them safe. Here are some packing tips to keep your fragile valuables safe.

Use the right packing materials:You need to use the right packing materials and if needed use a combination of them in order to be sure. You must remember to plan well while you choose your packing materials. Always save some spare packing material for the end as you may need it in case of an emergency. Always consider the things that you will wrap these valuables with. It can be a range of things that are cheaply available like newspaper, magazine covers, cardboard wrappers and linen and you can also spend a few bucks on expensive packing materials like bubble sheets, thermocol slabs for the special ones. Further, you will need hard cardboard boxes of different sizes in order to pack them. When you are packing small things you need to fill in gaps and empty corners in order to prevent collisions. You also get partitioned hard cardboard boxes to keep crockery and dishes. Some of the packing tips for common breakables are:Lamps: Box the lamps with a lot of paper on the sides and on the top with the flat side up. Bubble-wrap can be used instead of paper if required.Frames: Frames should be taped with cardboard sheets after being cushioned with paper and then boxed side down inside medium sized cardboard boxes after a layer of paper or thermocol.Glasses: Glass and crystal are best packed inside partitioned boxes on a bed of paper with lot of crumpled paper in between the articles to diminish voids and minimise collisions. The articles should ideally be placed with alternate sides up to increase impact tolerances.Plates: You can pack dishes and plates in dish boxes. Variety of boxes is available second hand in discounted rates. You must cushion the fragile articleswith layers of either paper or bubble-wraps in between dishes and in between the box and the plates. In absence of dish-boxes you can use medium sized cardboard boxes. You should line up dishes vertically to reduce the impact. Pack them on a layer of paper or thermocol sheets and place packing paper in between the dishes to prevent damage.Non-geometrical items: It can be a challenge to pack all the oddly shaped artefacts. The best way to pack them is to cover them all over with multiple layers of either paper or cloth and then pack them tightly in medium sized hard cardboard boxes over a bed of paper or thermocol.The thumb rule to pack fragile articles is minimum void, maximum cushioning and high impact tolerance. You can innovate on the above techniques to achieve this based on the size, shape and weight of the artefact.

Relocation may be a process one doesn't want to look forward to. Well, it isn't that bad a thing in life but the problems associated tend to make it extremely scary. Moving is hectic, time consuming, takes a lot of efforts, and tend to cause damage to valuables. This is true! But sometimes, moving becomes inevitable. One may require moving office to shift to a better location, a bigger workplace, or better prospects. Home relocation is also done for a variety of reasons including a better place to stay, lower rent, bigger house, transfer at workplace etc. Now the only way to overcome the moving phobia is to take help of professionals. They are experienced and trained to move home and office. Whether you are looking forward to moving now or sometime in future, here are some essential moving tips to know:Packing Early is CrucialPacking all of the stuff that you have at home overnight is difficult. So keep aside at least a month for packing. If you have a larger home, allot at least two months.Prepare a ScheduleThe idea of prudent packing is to know what to do and when. For instance, if you plan to pack the kids room first, note down the date and time you would start it off, the number of items to be packed, and the number of days you would take to pack it. Similarly, note down the schedule for kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, etc. Make sure you have everything written and planned.The GiveawaysDo you want to tag along everything with you? Well, there must be a huge pile of things that you may not need anymore. Tagging these things along and then dumping them into a storeroom again is like taking negative energies to a beautiful new place again. You have options. Sell the unwanted stuff online, to a local scrap dealer, or donate. You will get some money to buy new things. Donating the stuff will also give you inner satisfaction. Additionally, you are left with only a fewer things to move.The Big ListNow it is time to prepare a huge list of all the things you are left with at home after selling, discarding, and donating. The list must include various sections including:

Valuables

Important Documents

Breakables

Electronic Equipments

Heavy Items

Clothes

Shoes

Essentials

Sacred Items / Items of Religious Values

Flammables

Eatables (perishable and non-perishable)

Books (school, office, entertainment)

Beauty, Toiletries, and a lot more

Antiques

Family Pictures

Note down all of the things you have under the above listed categories. Make sure nothing is left out.Packing SuppliesThis is extremely important. You need to keep all of the packing supplies handy while packing your stuff. Make sure you have everything in place and of high quality. Right from cartons of all sizes (small, medium, and large), tapes, thermocol sheets, bubble wraps, containers, and special sheets to wrap furniture. You need to get all of these in amount appropriate for packing all that you have at home. Also keep adequate supply of newspapers to fill up cartons when packing glass items.Take One Room at a TimeWhen packing, you need to take one room at a time only. This will help you packing all essential stuff one by one without leaving out anything. So start with the room that you use less or is not very important such as the guest room, store room, kid's room, etc.Label All Your BoxesIt is crucial to label all of the boxes smartly. You may choose the colour of labels too according to the room so that you know which of the cartons to arrange where. For instance, you can label all kitchen boxes in yellow, kid's room cartons in pink/blue etc. Also write down the contents on each box. Use a marker for the same. Writing on each side will help you recognize them once stacked.CheckAs you pack the stuff in different boxes, keep checking the packed items on the big list you prepared earlier. This helps you know about the items that have been left out.No OverfillingStrictly avoid overfilling boxes while packing the items. This makes the things more vulnerable to breakage, dents, scratches, and damage. The trick here is to pack heavier items in large boxes and lighter ones in large boxes. This is a moving tip that saves you a good amount of pain.Hazardous ItemsYou need to take special care of hazardous items. Pack these in a separate box. This will keep them safe from other items.Box of EssentialsIt is now time to pack a box of essentials that will go with you. It should contain items that you will use at the new place until the cartons are unpacked and re-arranged. This box should contain items you would require once the move is over. Start packing the box as early as possible. Keep it with you. It should contain some snacks, canned or ready-to-eat food, can opener, disposable utensils, a few pans and pots, towels, toiletries, pet food, first aid kit, baby supplies, tool box, and bed sheets.Changing offices and homes can be extremely stressful, especially if you don't hire a professional packing service. Hope the above listed moving tips will help you enjoy a stress free, timely, happy, and safe move. Good Luck!